I've always loved The Lord of the Rings. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm fanatical about it, though. I already own copies of the books and the movies, so I'm not usually swayed by the endless barrage of Lord of the Rings gifts the internet seems to throw my way. I do really like the look of this Battle for Middle-Earth Chess set, however. I've seen a lot of really cool chess sets in my day, but this one appears to be surprisingly well done for how affordable it is. I don't even play that much chess and I've found myself adding it to my Christmas wishlist this year.

The Lord of The Rings Chess Set: Battle for Middle-Earth

Timothée Chalamet and writer-director Josh Safdie took the stage at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, today to hype up fans for Marty Supreme (review), the duo's upcoming, highly buzzed-about film.

During the panel, which saw the actor donning a Brazilian flag with his face on it at one point -- plus an array of ping-pong-headed men accompanying him, Chalamet was asked what moves him to aspire to greatness in his career.

"The people that inspired me to become an actor in the first place," responded the Dune star. "The greats before me, the Denzel Washingtons, the Leonardo DiCaprios, the people that laid a path that you aspire to as a young man, as a young artist. You get inspired by these people when you're young and sometimes the world puts you down and doesn't encourage you to dream. And this movie is exclusively about that. It's about following your dreams. Even driving here through Sao Paulo, always taking a moment to be grateful for the opportunities I had in my life. Going to the Performing Arts High School in New York, being surrounded by artists to be able to pursue my dreams, because you need people in your corner that support you."

"Equally, Marty Supreme is about an underdog, it's about believing your dreams when no one has your back, when no one believes in you, when the people you think love you the most, that claim to be in love with you, don't have your back. And then he's somehow persevering through it to be the greatest table tennis player of all time."

In his review of Marty Supreme, IGN's Michael Calabro said it was "equal parts fun and stressful" and that "Marty Supreme combines the chaotic directing style of Josh Safdie with the charisma of Timothée Chalamet to make a one-of-a-kind ping pong movie that is, without a doubt, one of the year’s best films.

Marty Supreme hits theaters on Christmas Day.

If you missed out on the budget gaming PC deals during Black Friday, here's yet another opportunity before the year's end. Lenovo has discounted its Lenovo LOQ AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX RTX 5060 Ti gaming PC down to just $949.99 with free delivery after applying coupon code "EXTRAFIVE". This is one of the lowest prices I've seen on an RTX 5060 Ti equipped gaming PC, from Lenovo or otherwise. The LOQ is Lenovo's budget line of gaming PCs. Despite the fact that it's less expensive than Lenovo's Legion lineup, the LOQ offers current-gen components (including Nvidia RTX 50 series GPUs) packed in an understated, compact chassis with proper airflow.

Lenovo LOQ RTX 5060 Ti Gaming PC for $950

Prime Video brought the cast of Fallout to CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, today to, ahem, prime fans for Season 2 of the hit show, which will be arriving in less than two weeks. On hand were Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean), Aaron Moten (Maximus), Walton Goggins (The Ghoul), and Justin Theroux (Robert Edwin House), who joins the show for the new season as the villain fans will remember from New Vegas.

During the panel, a scene from the new season was revealed, and you can watch a shorter version of it right here. (You'd have to fly to Brazil for the extra 30 seconds or so.) Featuring the video game location of Novac and Dinky the T-Rex, the scene would seem to be just a taste of the many game references the new season will be including as the story delves into the New Vegas of it all...

Watch the first clip from Fallout: Season 2 below.

Okie dokie, we’ve got our first clip from Season Two! pic.twitter.com/RfJkcdAX41

— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) December 5, 2025

Obviously Lucy and The Ghoul are still working together, though neither one seems particularly pleased about it. But, man, if The Ghoul doesn't need a hand at the moment...

"I think so much of Lucy and The Ghoul is revealed over the course of this apocalyptic road trip they take," Goggins told the crowd. "Ella was saying that either she'll become more like me or I'll become more like her. And it really is through this rhythm that you see The Ghoul change, and Lucy change! But for me, [The Ghoul's human persona] Cooper Howard, you got to know him a bit in Season 1, but Season 2 is a deep dive and deep exploration picking up where we left off in Season 1 about how much, how little he knows about the world that he thought he knew. And so much of The Ghoul is informed by Cooper Howard's experience in the past, and it's the way in which these writers architected it. The way in which the directors chose to tell the story visually, it's very powerful and very cinematic. And I'll be the third person [here] to say, I can't wait for you guys to see it!"

Fallout Season 2 debuts on December 17 on Prime Video, with a new episode dropping each week until the season finale on February 4.

For more Fallout coverage, discover what the executive producers told us about how they took a "fog of war" approach to avoid many any Fallout: New Vegas ending canon in Season 2.

The Secretlab Christmas Sale has officially commenced starting today. Save up to $100 off Secretlab's popular gaming chairs including its flagship Titan Evo Nanogen chair, up to $249 off its gaming desks, and up to 37% off accessories like the Titan Evo recliner add-on. In addition to the instant discounts, you can get extra tiered savings by hitting a certain order amount for each type of purchase. These should be stackable with the instant discounts.

• Extra $40 off Chair orders of $850 or more
• Extra $50 off Desk orders of $1,489 or more
• $100 off all orders of $1,999 or more

It's no secret that we love our Secretlab gaming chairs. Three of the eight chairs in our best gaming chair roundup are Secretlab models. Of all the gaming chairs we covered in our "Budget to Best" roundup video earlier this year, my colleague Akeem Lawanson considered the Secretlab Titan Evo to be the most comfortable. No good chair comes cheap and Secretlab chairs definitely cost a premium, but we think the craftsmanship, materials, and customizability are worth it.

TL;DR - The Best Secretlab Christmas Deals

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. For more information on each product and why they are worth your consideration, read through below.

Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition

Secretlab Titan Evo

Secretlab Titan Evo Lite

Secretlab Titan Recliner Add-On

Secretlab Magnus and Magnus Pro

If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further than Alienware's flagship Area-51 gaming PC equipped with a GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. It was on sale during Cyber Monday at the lowest price of the year, and fortunately the deal hasn't expired yet. You can still score one for as low as $3,899.99 after a hefty $1,150 off instant discount. This was the first time an Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 prebuilt had dropped below $4,000.

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Gaming PC for $3,899.99

The $3,900 configuration features a 240mm liquid cooled Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and a 2TB SSD. The system includes a 1,500W 80Plus Platinum power supply which gives you extra headroom for future upgrades down the roam. The RAM and hard drives are easily user-swappable. The $4,250 system upgrades the processor to an unlocked Intel Core Ultra 9 and a more robust 360mm liquid cooling system.

New for 2025: The Alienware Area-51 Chassis

Dell unveiled the new Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The chassis is a super-sized upgrade to the 2024 R16 system with aesthetic and cooling redesigns and updated components. The I/O panel is positioned at the top of the case instead of the front, and the tempered glass window now spans the entire side panel instead of just a smaller cutout. As a result, the side panel vents are gone, and instead air intakes are located at the bottom as well as the front of the case. Alienware is now pushing a positive airflow design (more intake than exhaust airflow), which means a less dusty interior. The internal components have been refreshed with a new motherboard, faster RAM, and bigger power supply to accommodate the new generation of CPUs and GPUs.

The RTX 5090 Is the Most Powerful Graphics Card Ever

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has emerged as the most powerful consumer GPU on the market. Although with this generation Nvidia has prioritized software updates, AI features, and DLSS 4 technology to improve gameplay performance, the 5090 still boasts an impressive 25%-30% uplift over the RTX 4090 in hardware-based raster performance. If you want the absolute best performance for your gaming PC, there is literally no other option from any other brand.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Battlefield Studios has published the Battlefield 6 update 1.1.3.0 patch notes ahead of next week’s Winter Offensive update, revealing a detailed list of audio improvements, soldier visibility tweaks, a range of map adjustments, and more.

Patch notes for the third major Season 1 update were published in a post on the EA shooter series’ website today. The full breakdown follows up on promises made by BF Studios’ outline from earlier this week and touches on every notable change coming to Battlefield 6 and REDSEC when Winter Offensive reaches its December 9 release date.

Though today’s patch notes cover everything from audio to Sector sizes, players may be happy to see the studio continuing to adjust an issue that has wormed its way to the front of online discussion since launch: hit registration. BF Studios says the 1.1.3.0 changes should result in more predictable bullet impact and easier-to-read damage feedback thanks to tweaks to quick aim, pre-zoom firing, and close-quarters gunfights.

Other elements the Battlefield 6 developers took aim at with the Winter Offensive update include better weapon handling, improved character highlights and animations for visibility, gadget reliability, and refined gameplay for vehicle-savvy players. Launch players will also notice relatively extensive changes to Sectors and vehicles across seven Breakthrough maps: Manhattan Bridge, Mirak Valley, New Sobek City, Operation Firestorm, Liberation Peak, Siege of Cairo, and Empire State.

It may be some time before players get a handle on whether many of these changes correct the balance of the average Battlefield 6 multiplayer match. Those audio tweaks, however, will likely be noticeable from the get-go, with the hope being that infantry noise is clearer and easier to read at different distances.

“We’ve also continued addressing performance and memory issues that could cause sounds, such as footsteps or vehicle audio, to drop out or fail to play, especially during large-scale Battle Royale matches,” BF Studios says in the update 1.1.3.0 patch notes. “To get ahead of this as we add more audio content to the game, we’ve adjusted the memory priorities for most sounds in the game and optimized how some larger audio assets load. In practical terms, this means that important combat, movement, and vehicle sounds should play more consistently even under heavy load.

“These changes are part of an ongoing effort to improve the overall stability of the soundscape. While this isn’t a complete overhaul, and there may still be edge cases depending on hardware and match conditions, it's a big step toward more reliable and predictable sound across the game.”

Each change arrives in addition to new weapons, limited-time winter events, and more new content that players have been told to expect since launch. Highlights include the Ice Lock Empire State map, the Ice Lock multiplayer and Gauntlet modes, the Ice Climbing Axe melee weapon, Portal updates, and a mini–Winter Offensive-themed battle pass bonus path. It’s the latest in the run of Battlefield 6 Season 1 chapter updates, which saw Rogue Ops bring Blackwell Fields and battle royale to the experience October 28, while California Resistance added Eastwood November 18.

Plans for Season 2 remain under wraps for now. In the meantime, you can read up on another recent change that saw BF Studios unveil another round of challenge and progression tweaks. You can also learn about why some players both loved and hated the new The 323 cosmetic pack.

Finally, you can check out the full Winter Offensive patch notes below.

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.0 Patch Notes

Update 1.1.3.0 delivers a broad range of fixes and refinements across Battlefield 6, improving soldier clarity, weapon reliability, vehicle behaviour, audio consistency, and overall gameplay flow. This update also includes several quality-of-life improvements across UI, HUD, and controller aiming options, along with map-specific updates designed to stabilise objective play and reduce round-end matchmaking frustration.

We also made improvements to reduce cases where player settings could be reset when updating the game to the newest version. While this behaviour should now occur less frequently, we are still seeing isolated instances and expect to fully resolve the issue in an upcoming update.

As always, thank you for continuing to share your feedback which helps us refine and evolve the Battlefield 6 experience.

New Content: Winter Offensive

• New Time-Limited Map: Ice Lock Empire State. A winter-shrouded version of Empire State featuring frozen streets and seasonal environmental visuals.
• New Time-Limited Multiplayer and Gauntlet Mode: A themed event mode playable across Domination, Conquest, and Gauntlet mission variations on Ice Lock Empire State featuring the event-limited “Freeze” mechanic.
• New Melee Weapon: the Ice Climbing Axe. Unlocked through the Winter Offensive Bonus Path.
• Portal updates: Ice Lock Empire State is available for use in supported Portal experiences during the event window.
• Battle Pass: Winter Offensive Bonus Path: an 11-tier, time-limited reward track featuring event cosmetics, XP Boosters, and the Ice Climbing Axe.

Major Updates for 1.1.3.0

• Improved hit registration across situations that previously felt unreliable, including quick aim adjustments, firing before a zoom completes, and close-quarters fights with many players. These updates make bullet impacts more predictable and damage feedback easier to read in the moment.
• Enhanced close-range soldier visibility, with stronger character highlights and improved prone animations to help soldiers stand out more clearly in low-contrast or visually busy areas.
• Refined weapon handling for more consistent accuracy, addressing issues with first-shot behaviour, recoil interaction, and attachment alignment so weapons feel more stable and predictable during firefights.
• Improved reliability across several core gadgets, including updates to the LWCMS Portable Mortar, Supply Pouch, Smoke Cover, and traversal tools to ensure they behave consistently and provide clearer feedback.
• Strengthened vehicle clarity and interaction, fixing issues around damage zones, HUD overlaps, seat reticules, and camera behaviour to make vehicle play more stable for both drivers and passengers.
• Updated Breakthrough and Rush layouts on multiple maps to improve attacker–defender balance, smooth out sector flow, and adjust vehicle distribution based on match outcome data and player feedback.
• Delivered a broad audio pass improving combat readability, including clearer footsteps and movement cues, more reliable armour-break feedback, and tuning across several high-priority gameplay sounds.

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENTS

AUDIO

With this update, we’ve made a wide range of audio improvements, including a dedicated tuning pass on footsteps to make movement clearer, easier to locate, and more readable at different distances.

We’ve also continued addressing performance and memory issues that could cause sounds, such as footsteps or vehicle audio, to drop out or fail to play, especially during large-scale Battle Royale matches. To get ahead of this as we add more audio content to the game, we’ve adjusted the memory priorities for most sounds in the game and optimized how some larger audio assets load. In practical terms, this means that important combat, movement, and vehicle sounds should play more consistently even under heavy load.

These changes are part of an ongoing effort to improve the overall stability of the soundscape. While this isn’t a complete overhaul, and there may still be edge cases depending on hardware and match conditions, it's a big step toward more reliable and predictable sound across the game.

CHANGELOG

PLAYER:

• Fixed a clipping issue when dragging a soldier on an inclined surface when being prone.
• Fixed a clipping issue with character shoulders when jumping.
• Fixed a rare issue where fall damage wouldn’t be applied immediately after being revived.
• Fixed snapping and aggressive camera movements when performing takedowns on prone enemies from specific angles.
• Fixed an issue allowing players to use vaulting to avoid being roadkilled by an enemy vehicle coming at high speed.
• Fixed an issue causing controller haptic feedback to continue indefinitely when a reload was interrupted by swapping to another weapon or gadget.
• Fixed an issue causing hit registration to fail when firing while making extremely rapid aim adjustments. We’re continuing to investigate additional edge cases and reviewing player reports related to hit registration.
• Fixed an issue causing soldier legs to rotate incorrectly with the body when falling while prone.
• Fixed an issue causing soldier movement to feel slow while walking on uneven terrain.
• Fixed an issue causing the character’s hands to appear misaligned when vaulting through windows.
• Fixed an issue causing vaulting while charging a defibrillator to make the soldier’s hands disappear.
• Fixed an issue that caused getting revived after dying mid-fall to trigger fall damage the next time the player jumped.
• Fixed an issue that caused the player to continue controlling their soldier after dying in water.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the player to become stuck when entering water while crouching.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent melee damage from being dealt to soldiers in water.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent melee damage from being dealt to soldiers seated in exposed vehicle seats.
• Fixed an issue that made it difficult to traverse some stairs, especially at slow movement speeds.
• Fixed an issue where climbing down ladders with a grenade equipped caused misaligned animations.
• Fixed an issue where first-person grenade animations appeared incorrectly when spectating another player.
• Fixed an issue where getting hit by melee damage prevented the victim from performing melee attacks.
• Fixed an issue where hands clipped into ladders when in first-person view.
• Fixed an issue where interrupting a drag and revive would not cancel revive progress as expected.
• Fixed an issue where jumping in and out of vehicles could lead to later hit-registration for soldiers on foot.
• Fixed an issue where landing on a vehicle prevented the player from taking any fall damage.
• Fixed an issue where melee animations would not play correctly when attacking while vaulting over mid-height obstacles.
• Fixed an issue where melee attacking and returning to an Assault Ladder caused the player to appear to attack with the ladder.
• Fixed an issue where performing zoomed aiming while colliding with a wall during sprint would offset the player’s aim.
• Fixed an issue where soldier models glowed incorrectly in front of the thermobaric visual effect when illuminated by a flashlight.
• Fixed an issue where the death camera could appear beneath the map when dying inside a vehicle.
• Fixed an issue where the melee weapon briefly appeared in an incorrect pose when holding the M87A1 shotgun.
• Fixed first-person stair locomotion animations starting with a delay when moving on stairs.
• Fixed third-person mounting clipping issues with the HK433 when using certain bottom-rail attachments.
• Improved first- and third-person vault-up and vault-over mid-height animations for smoother transitions.
• Improved hit registration reliability when multiple players were within close proximity.
• Improved how recoil and aim input interact, resulting in more reliable accuracy when compensating for recoil.
• Improved melee animation when attacking while prone.
• Improved movement responsiveness at the start and end of drag and revive interactions.
• Improved soldier animation smoothness when entering and exiting prone.
• Improved visibility of soldiers at close range by applying brightness adjustments at 0 metres with a higher minimum intensity.
• Resolved an animation issue where quickly applying armour immediately after using a melee weapon could result in an unintended transitional animation.
• Updated third-person prone animations to improve clarity, reduce static poses, and enhance soldier visibility.

VEHICLES:

• Fixed an issue where heavy machine-gun fire from some vehicles would not consistently register damage against soldiers.
• Fixed an issue where some vehicle seats were incorrectly classified, preventing the correct passenger reticule from appearing while spectating another player.
• Fixed an issue where the soldier compass could appear simultaneously with the vehicle compass when sitting in certain gunner seats.
• Fixed issues with damage zones on armoured vehicles that caused them to take higher-than-intended damage in certain situations.
• Fixed UI behaviour for the Quadbike’s spawn camera to ensure it displays correctly upon deployment.
• Partially fixed an issue where vehicle audio could stop functioning during live gameplay due to suspected memory-related issues.

WEAPONS:

• Fixed a bug where players could become stuck in the weapon inspect animation when entering a vehicle.
• Fixed a rare visual glitch that could cause scopes to be displayed incorrectly.
• Fixed a visual issue where the Adjustable Angled Grip sat slightly higher on the weapon than intended.
• Fixed an issue causing the first bullet fired during early zoom transitions on certain weapons and scopes to be more inaccurate than intended.
• Fixed an issue that caused quick melee attacks to sometimes not return the player to their previous weapon after striking.
• Fixed an issue where some scopes unintentionally received thermal or depth-of-field blur.
• Fixed an issue where target dummies in the firing range remained down after being shot.
• Fixed an issue where the effects of FMJ ammunition were incorrectly applied to additional ammunition types.
• Fixed an issue where underslung attachments were not always restored correctly when picking up another soldier’s kit.
• Fixed an issue with the flashlight weapon attachment being misaligned when sprinting at high FOV values.
• Fixed the “peekaboo” timing bug affecting target dummies on the firing range.
• Increased the minimum time between shots by 100 ms on the Mini Scout to improve pacing and reduce rapid-fire inconsistencies.
• Reduced recoil magnitude but increased recoil variation on the M250, NVO-228E, RPKM, SG 553R, and SOR-300SC. These weapons now perform less effectively at long range, with the SG 553R receiving the most noticeable adjustment.
• Reduced the cost of the L110 and M123K 200-round magazines from 55 to 50, and removed the penalty to ADS movement dispersion.
• Tweaked haptic feedback for weapon reloads on PS5 controllers.
• Updated melee behaviour to allow players equipped with a melee weapon to choose between a takedown (F/RS) or a bash attack (Mouse 1/RT).

GADGETS:

• Fixed an issue where Assault Ladders did not allow smooth traversal by increasing the maximum ramp angle from 45° to 52°. Players can now run up the ladder without shifting into a climbing stance.
• Fixed an issue where gadgets that should be hidden by occlusion were still visible through geometry.
• Fixed an issue where lock-on indicators appeared for Engineers without a lock-on capable launcher equipped.
• Fixed an issue where Supply Crates deployed by enemy players were visible on the mini map.
• Fixed an issue where Throwing Knife animations lasted longer than intended.
• Fixed an issue where XFGM-6D Recon Drones spawned facing the wrong direction instead of matching the soldier’s facing direction when being deployed.
• Reduced Throwing Knife dispersion so that headshots are reliably achievable up to 15 metres.

LWCMS Portable Mortar

• Fixed an issue where an incorrect shell type was used during firing and reload animations.
• Fixed an issue where firing a Smoke Shell did not shake the camera or tube.
• Fixed an issue where Smoke Shell clouds were smaller than intended.
• Fixed an issue where the fire rate was lower than intended.
• Fixed an issue where the Smoke Shell always regenerated via Supply Crates.
• Logistics Expert in the Fire Support tree now slightly enhances the Supply Crate’s effect on the Portable Mortar’s fire rate.
• Smoke Shell ammunition now starts at 0 and regenerates every 45 seconds.

Supply Pouch

• Fixed an issue where the Supply Pouch instantly regenerated health on deployment.
• Fixed an issue with incorrect ammunition setup that caused inconsistent resupply behaviour.
• Removed the initial heal on gadget deployment; the Supply Pouch now only heals over time.
• Thrown Supply Pouches now prioritise players who are low on, or have requested, health or ammunition.

MAPS & MODES:

• Adjusted Conquest and Escalation capture areas on Manhattan Bridge so objectives can no longer be captured from rooftop positions.
• Extended rooftop out-of-bounds areas on Empire State, Manhattan Bridge, and Saints Quarter.
• Fixed an issue where deaths were not tracked correctly in Strikepoint.
• Fixed an issue where players were not properly credited for a kill caused by the destruction of the crane on Mirak Valley.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle selection in Escalation became temporarily unavailable if the player was on the deploy screen when a territory changed hands.
• Made improvements to reduce cases of players matching into games that were near the end of a round.
• The out-of-bounds timer on Manhattan Bridge is now correctly set to 10 seconds.
• Updated M-COM placement on Liberation Peak and Manhattan Bridge to improve attacker flow based on player feedback.
• Updated spawning behaviour for Battle Pickups:
  • In Breakthrough, Battle Pickups now spawn when their associated sectors are enabled.
  • In Conquest and Escalation, Battle Pickups now spawn when their associated capture points are owned by a team.

Following feedback since launch, several Breakthrough layouts have been updated to address attacker–defender win/loss imbalance and improve overall flow, vehicle balance, and capture-zone clarity across multiple maps.

Manhattan Bridge

• Removed Defender vehicles in Sector 2 and Sector 3.
• Added an additional Attacker IFV in Sector 3.
• Updated capture volumes across Sectors 1, 2, and 3 to support more consistent attacker progress.

Mirak Valley

• Removed Defender vehicles in all sectors.
• Adjusted Attacker vehicle counts:
  • Sector 1: Reduced Attacker IFVs from 2 to 1; increased Attacker tanks from 1 to 2.
  • Sector 2: Added 1 Attacker IFV.
  • Sector 3: Added 1 Attacker IFVs.
• Updated capture volumes across all sectors to make attacking easier.

New Sobek City

• Sector 2: Added 1 Defender tank and one Defender IFV.
• Sector 3: Added 1 Attacker IFV; removed Defender tank and light transport.
• Updated capture volumes in both sectors to improve attacker flow.

Operation Firestorm

• Sector 2: Adjusted Defender armour (added and removed tank spawns).
• Sector 3: Added 2 Attacker tanks and 1 Attacker IFV; removed the Defender tank.
• Updated capture zones across affected sectors to support attacker momentum.

Liberation Peak

• Sector 3: Removed Defender tank.
• Sector 5: Added 2 Attacker IFVs; removed the Defender transport.
• Updated capture volumes to improve attacker advancement.

Siege of Cairo

• Added an additional Attacker tank in sector 1 and 3.
• Updated capture areas on B flag to improve sector push potential.

Empire State

• Sector 1: Updated capture volume on B flag.
• Sector 2: Updated capture volumes on A and B flags.

PROGRESSION:

• Fixed an issue where enemies spotted by the LTLM II Portable Laser Designator did not count towards the “Spot enemies with Recon Gadgets” weekly challenge.
• Fixed an issue where the Incendiary Airburst Launcher did not track progress for the “Support Specialist 2” challenge when dealing damage with its lingering fire cloud.

UI & HUD:

• Added a loading popup when entering a tournament code to provide better feedback on what's happening.
• Added “Free Look” helicopter game hint to be part of pilot hints..
• Enemies can no longer be spotted from the big map.
• Ensured players who trigger crane destruction now have their killer ID correctly logged in the scoreboard’s score log.
• Ensured the “Cut Parachute” prompt appears correctly in Multiplayer modes outside of REDSEC.
• Fixed a mini map issue where empty vehicle icons did not transition correctly into a friendly vehicle icon when entering a vehicle.
• Fixed a rare issue where objective icons could disappear when redeploying.
• Fixed an issue where a teammate’s armour briefly appeared as soft-armour colour when their armour broke, causing a momentary incorrect visual.
• Fixed an issue where camos in the Challenges section did not show their name or category.
• Fixed an issue where hints for “Re-Enter” and “Deploy” were displayed in the wrong order when using a controller with the EOD Bot.
• Fixed an issue where killcards did not always appear when players were killed inside vehicles.
• Fixed an issue where loading screen combat zone descriptions did not update correctly based on the active game mode.
• Fixed an issue where loading screen combat zone descriptions were incorrect for Sabotage on Eastwood.
• Fixed an issue where loading screen combat zone text displayed incorrectly on Sabotage across all maps.
• Fixed an issue where Store offers did not scroll correctly when fast-scrolling along the same row.
• Fixed an issue where the deploy camera could appear incorrectly rotated when spectating a soldier or vehicle.
• Fixed an issue where the different painted states of the LTLM II Portable Laser Designator weren’t correctly represented by the gadgets HUD warning label.
• Fixed an issue where the Helicopter HUD would disappear when the color was set to black in the settings.
• Fixed an issue where the LMR27 and ES 5.7 attachment lists were not sorted correctly.
• Fixed an issue where the LWCMS Portable Mortar icon had visual inconsistencies between the big map and the minimap.
• Fixed an issue where the Traverse Mark 2 displayed duplicate LMG text in the second seat, despite having only one mounted weapon.
• Fixed an issue where the vehicle 3D preview did not update when switching loadout presets.
• Fixed an issue where zooming in on the big map would sometimes result in a black screen.
• Fixed issues that prevented Resupply Station icons from appearing on the big map as intended.
• Improved Commorose behaviour by correcting the request distances for “Need Repair” and “Need Pick Up”.
• Improved image cropping to better align artwork in the Battle Pass purchase screens.
• Improved ping behaviour on friendly soldiers, revive requests, and stationary weapons.
• Improved the text used to describe unlock conditions for Bonus Mission for better clarity.
• Reduced man down icons to only show the two closest downed team mates.
• Removed the ability to cycle between classes on the deploy screen using Q and E to prevent unintended class changes before spawning.
• Snap Zoom (Aim Assist) has been clarified in the menu: this option is only available in Single Player and Portal modes, not in Multiplayer.
• Squad and friendly in-world nametags now blink when the player regains health or receives ammunition.
• Stationary weapons no longer show pickup provider icons when a player is requesting to be picked up.
• Unlocked cosmetics now appear above locked ones in selection lists.
• Updated back-navigation logic so consoles can no longer back out far enough to trigger the quit-game popup unintentionally.
• Updated the countermeasure hint to only display when a weapon lock-on state makes the prompt relevant.
• Updated the lock-on warning behaviour so that lock-on alerts can take priority over painted labels when appropriate, ensuring threats are more noticeable.
• Updated the Saints Quarter loading screen to display correct combat zone text.
• Updated underbarrel launchers so the correct type icons appear in the HUD.

SETTINGS:

• Fixed a bug where changing the “Command Console” option would not apply until the game was restarted.
• Fixed an issue where navigating back from the Options menu could behave incorrectly when accessed through Pause Menu.
• Fixed an issue where the “Edit Controller Schemes” menu title could disappear in Options.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle aim sensitivity displayed an incorrect value in the vehicle control settings.
• Fixed an issue with options sliders “stepping” functionality being broken and not allowing players to step through decimals.
• Improved the “Dynamic” response curve option for controller stick aiming to better match player expectations and player feedback.
• The range for Infantry and Vehicle mouse sensitivity options are now doubled and can go twice as high.

SINGLE PLAYER:

• Fixed an issue where the out-of-bounds timer did not correctly account for player death or Mandown state in Single Player.

AUDIO:

• Added new vehicle-specific hostile type identifiers for more accurate callouts.
• Added safeguards so background environmental soldier audio no longer triggers during moments with no combat.
• Adjusted the balance of the bootflow logo music and sound effects.
• Fixed an audio issue that occurred when crawling while aiming down sights.
• Fixed an issue that caused health-replenishing audio to play multiple times.
• Fixed an issue where background environmental soldier audio wasn't affected by the voice over volume slider.
• Fixed an issue where end-of-round music would sometimes not play, or play the incorrect track.
• Fixed an issue where players could experience a stuck “Low Health” audio cue after remaining at low health for 30 seconds in modes without health regeneration.
• Fixed an issue where round-start music could play before the round actually began.
• Fixed an issue where Supply Crate sound effects could repeatedly trigger on downed soldiers.
• Fixed an issue where the “Advance to Next Sector” audio cue played “Out-of-Bounds” sound effect.
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect nearby-friendly voice over line would play when a mortar shell landed beside the player.
• Fixed an issue where the proper sound effect did not play when performing a combat dive.
• Fixed an issue where the Rorsch Mk-2 SMRW Rail Gun’s charge loop sound effects did not play correctly.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle prop-fuse fire effects were missing their intended audio.
• Fixed missing audio when performing weapon inspections.
• Optimised memory handling and improved prioritisation for most in-game sounds, reducing cases where important audio, such as vehicles or footsteps, sometimes failed to play.
• Partially fixed an issue where vehicle audio could stop functioning during live gameplay due to suspected memory-related issues.

Footsteps

• Balanced enemy-specific layers for clearer cloth and gear cues.
• Further reduced or removed the momentary dampening of enemy movement audio triggered by damage, low-health states, game notifications, or occlusion effects.
• Improved distance-based acoustics for clearer separation between close, mid, and far ranges.
• Improved distant world reflections to better convey space and positioning.
• Increased enemy movement audio at distance for greater readability.
• Increased overall enemy movement volume, with an additional boost when an enemy is behind the player.
• Reduced how heavily sneaking stances (crouch walking, crawling) lower enemy movement audio.
• Reduced how much the “Spec-Op” trait lowers footstep audio when sneaking.
• Reduced scuff and scrape audio from movement against walls and ground.
• Reduced self and friendly footstep volume in Wartapes, Wartapes VAL, and REDSEC.
• Refactored footstep triggers to be more reliable across different speeds and stances.
• Removed limitations on the maximum number of close-range enemy audio sources.
• Small balancing tweaks to footsteps on different materials for outliers, such as slow speed on gravel and different directions (up, down, sideways) on wooden stairs.

PORTAL:

• Fixed an issue where AI squadmates in Portal did not display class identifiers on the insertion screen.
• Fixed an issue where mod.PlaySound() and mod.PlayVO() accepted any object type as input. These functions now correctly require sound effects and voice over object types respectively. While existing syntax remains unchanged, any TypeScript code that explicitly references generic object types will now need to specify mod.SFX or mod.VO as appropriate.
• Fixed an issue where mod.PlayVO() always played the voiceover for the Alpha flag, regardless of the flag specified by the script.
• SDK Assets for MainStreet, ClubHouse, and Marina have been corrected to only use relevant assets.

AI:

• AI bots can now respond to ammo, healing, and pickup requests.
• Fixed an issue that caused AI repairing friendly vehicles to be less responsive than intended.
• Fixed cases where AI attempted to take cover in ways that left them static or unresponsive. Bots will now correctly move toward locked objectives in King of the Hill.
• Fixed instances where AI soldiers could take too long to find a valid path to their objective, causing them to remain stationary.
• Improved AI responsiveness when performing revives.
• Improved AI revive logic and movement to make their actions more consistent and reliable.

REDSEC

PLAYER:

• Fixed a rare issue where a Second Chance respawn could place players over 1,000 metres in the air.
• Fixed an issue where incorrect mouse sensitivity was applied to the MH-47’s third-person camera during insertion.
• Fixed an issue where players could be kicked for inactivity while spectating.
• Fixed an issue where players could not claim a second custom weapon dropped as a mission reward.
• Fixed an issue where takedown prompts did not appear consistently when approaching enemies from behind.
• Fixed an issue where the wrong animation would play when switching from a call-in grenade to a different weapon.
• Fixed an issue where weapon swap animations broke after switching away from the Resupply Drop Call-In.
• Triggering a redeploy tower or beacon now disables or destroys any other active tower or beacon for the same team.

GAUNTLET:

• Fixed an issue where mission objects would not drop if the carrier disconnected.

VEHICLES:

• Fixed an issue where tanks and ambulances would be clipping through each other.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle containers could occasionally be empty after being opened.

WEAPONS:

• Adjusted damage for the Rorsch Mk-2 SMRW Rail Gun against fully armoured soldiers. Headshots now kill the opponent on one shot while a bodyshot will leave the opponent with 10 HP.

GADGETS:

• Fixed an issue with incorrect textures on the projectile deployed by the XFGM-6D Recon Drone
• Fixed an issue where the XFGM-6D Recon Drone’s altitude unintentionally decreased as the match went on.

CALL-INS:

• Fixed an issue where Smoke Cover could not be activated during the late stages of a match.
• The UAV now fully explodes on impact when shot down.

MAP:

• Fixed an issue where a Razer keyboard lightning event did not trigger when interacting with antennas on the “Signal Hack” mission.

Battle Royale

• Improved loot box placement across the map for more reliable accessibility.

Gauntlet

• Fixed an issue where M-COMs in Wreckage would not reactivate after being destroyed.

UI & HUD:

• Fixed an issue where the armour bar of your team mates were showing even though they were at full capacity.

Battle Royale

• Added clearer distinction between player and squad member inventory requests.
• Added upgrade notifications to the loot feed when a weapon is improved.
• Fixed an issue where ping icons of lootable vehicles would disappear from the mini map when the players get more than 25m away from them.
• Fixed an issue where the Tank Hunter mission UI could remain active if the targeted squad destroyed its own tank.
• Updated the artwork for mission rewards to reflect new keycard changes.

Gauntlet

• Added correct interaction prompts for counter-mission teams when defusing explosives in Wreckage.
• Fixed an issue where the scoreboard was sorted by deaths instead of score.
• Fixed an issue where the Loadout screen overlay could incorrectly appear over the Gauntlet Mission Briefing on Aftermath.
• Fixed team-ownership colours for M-COMs in Wreckage missions.

AUDIO:

• Fixed an issue where subtitles would not appear correctly during insertion.
• Fixed missing UI audio when unlocking the first Field Upgrade.
• Increased the volume of armour-break audio for both incoming and outgoing hits.

This announcement may change as we listen to community feedback and continue developing and evolving our Live Service & Content. We will always strive to keep our community as informed as possible.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Direct from the showroom floor of CCXP 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil, we've got a close-up look at Supergirl's costume from the 2026 DC movie. Also along for the ride is the Girl of Steel's dog Krypto, or a statue of him at least.

Warner Bros. and DC's activation dominates the São Paulo Expo where CCXP is held, as it's situated right next to the Omelete Stage, which is a location where the stars and creators who are visiting the convention brave the showfloor amid a sea of fans.

Check out some images of Supergirl and Krypto below (click through the slideshow for all the shots):

Supergirl stars Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) as Kara Zor-El, returning after her brief appearance in last summer's Superman. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Fright Night, I, Tonya, Cruella), the film is an adaptation of the comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. James Gunn and Peter Safran of course serves as producers on the film.

Supergirl will be released on June 26, 2026.

Earlier this year, Disney announced it would bring the original Star Wars film, later dubbed Episode IV: A New Hope, back to theaters for the film's 50th anniversary in 2027. But it looks like we'll be seeing it a little earlier than we originally thought, on February 19, 2027.

This comes from an official announcement on the Star Wars website, which also revealed another piece of pretty big news. The version of A New Hope that will show in theaters in 2027 will be a "newly restored" version of the original 1977 theatrical release. This is likely the same version that was shown earlier this year in London at the Film on Film Festival.

The original version of the film features a number of differences from the Special Edition, which at the behest of George Lucas has replaced the original in just about every possible medium for watching it since 1981. The differences are the origin of the "Han shot first" controversy, which is probably the most-discussed aspect of the differences, but there are a number of other changes of varying levels of subtlety throughout.

Lucas has been firm over the years that the Special Edition is his true vision for the film, speaking to the Associated Press in 2004 about his feelings:

The Special Edition, that’s the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it’s on VHS, if anybody wants it. I’m not going to spend the — we’re talking millions of dollars here — the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn’t really exist anymore. It’s like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I’m sorry you saw a half-completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be. I’m the one who has to take responsibility for it. I’m the one who has to have everybody throw rocks at me all the time, so at least if they’re going to throw rocks at me, they’re going to throw rocks at me for something I love rather than something I think is not very good, or at least something I think is not finished.

It's unclear if this 2027 showing and the London festival showing are indicators of Lucas relaxing his stance a bit, or if everyone has just sufficiently bullied him into letting it exist alongside the Special Edition. Probably Disney's ownership of Lucasfilm has something to do with it. Or, as he told People Magazine in October of this year, perhaps he's simply managed to let go. “Of course I’ve moved past it," he said. "I mean, I’ve got a life."

We also don't know how long Star Wars will stay in theaters. The original announcement suggested it would debut on April 30, 2027, with the intent of it showing at least through May the 4th, or Star Wars Day. It's possible they'll keep it in theaters long enough to still celebrate May the 4th, or perhaps Disney has other, even splashier plans for the big 50th. We only have to wait just over a whole year to find out.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Walmart is offering a great deal on a wonderful gift idea for anyone who is constantly fiddling with small electronics, building PCs, or modding consoles and controllers. Right now you can get the Fantik S1 Ace 3.7V Precision Cordless Screwdriver for just $21.99. Walmart states the list price is $100, but I've generally seen it closer to $50. Nevertheless, this is still a great deal on a versatile product.

Fantik S1 Ace Precision Screwdriver Set for $21.99

If you're in the market for a new gaming PC or laptop, Alienware should top your wishlist. The brand has been around for ages and has always been considered a premium option that features bold aesthetics, powerful performance, reliable warranty. Alienware holds a few big sales throughout the year where it offers huge discounts on gaming laptops and PCS that normally cost a premium, and Cyber Monday is one of those sales.

If you missed Black Friday, there's no reason to fret. Dell's Cyber Monday Sale is still live and some prices are actually lower that what I saw on Friday. This is the best opportunity to stretch your dollar and get the most powerful Alienware gaming PC or laptop your budget allows. Play the latest games like Battlefield 6 or Ghost of Yotei in glorious 4k with buttery smooth framerates, but also future-proof your PC for the next generation of games. If you're looking for even deeper discounts, check out some incredible price drops on refurbished "Like New" computers at Dell Outlet.

Alienware Aurora R16 Gaming PC Deals

The Aurora R16 is Alienware's bread and butter gaming PC. It can be equipped with an Nvidia RTX 5060 graphics card all the way up to an RTX 5080 and the prices for Cyber Monday are extremely competitive with other brands. For example, currently Alienware has the least expensive prebuilt RTX 5080 gaming PC that I've found anywhere. Most of these systems are customizable, however it's not difficult to upgrade your own RAM and storage yourself.

Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC Deals

If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Dell unveiled the new Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The chassis is a super-sized upgrade to the Aurora R16 system with aesthetic and cooling redesigns. The internal components have been refreshed with a new motherboard, faster RAM, and bigger power supply to accommodate the new generation of CPUs and GPUs. With a high-end system like this, it's only fitting that it be equipped with an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 graphics card, so these are the configurations I've listed here. Note that Dell Outlet refurbished PCs come with the same warranty as buying new.

Alienware Aurora Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware's new mainstream gaming laptop for 2025 is dubbed the "Alienware Aurora" and it replaces the previous generation's x16 and m16 series of laptops. It comes in two models: the 16 and 16X. The 16 is the more economical model, but gamers should definitely opt for the higher-end 16X model. If you're looking for build quality and performance on par with the previous generation m16, then the 16X is its spiritual successor. It features an anodized aluminum lid and base, a higher quality display, a more powerful CPU, and a GPU that isn't throttled for maximum gaming performance.

Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware 18 Area-51 (18")

Alienware 16 Area-51 (16")

The Area-51 is Alienware's new flagship gaming laptop for 2025. It features an anodized aluminum shell for both the lid and bottom chassis with a gorgeous iridescent finish. The frame is made of a durable and lightweight magnesium alloy. Cooling has been upgraded with generous amounts of copper and a new thermal interface material to better transfer heat away from your hottest components as well as more fans and bigger cutouts for greater airflow. Dell claims that the laptop can handle a higher power ceiling of up to 240W TDP without raising acoustics.

Design-wise, the Area 51 has a sleeker, more contoured shape compared to previous models, with rounded edges and soft corners replacing the traditional squared off design. The hinges are internally positioned so that they're near invisible. There's a transparent window on the undercarriage to show off the internal components. As befits an Alienware laptop, there's plenty of RGB illunimation, although most of it can be turned off if you want your laptop to be a bit more subtle.

Gaming Monitor Deals

Dell makes some of the highest quality gaming monitors around. They're easily on par with the best that other brands like Samsung, LG, and Asus have to offer. For Cyber Monday, they're also incredibly well-priced. For example, the venerable 34" Alienware AW3423DWF Qfor $499.99 is the lower price I've ever seen for a 34" OLED monitor. By the way, if you do opt for a Dell or Alienware OLED monitor, you also get a 3 year warranty that includes OLED burn-in protection.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Superhero blockbuster and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Infinity Saga bookend Avengers: Endgame will return to theaters for the first time since 2019 next year.

Marvel Studios confirmed plans to bring the last Avengers movie back to the big screen September 2026 with a social media post and short video teaser. It’s a nostalgia pull that calls back not only to the crossover film’s iconic “on your left” moment but also the viral audience reactions that came with it.

Avengers: Endgame — Back in theaters, September 2026. pic.twitter.com/PRmW9pEAxm

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 5, 2025

THR reports that Avengers: Endgame is set for a September 25 premiere, specifically, though it’s unclear how long it will stick around in theaters. There’s currently no explanation as to why Marvel seems to have opted out of bringing back the story’s first half, Infinity War, to tie a bow with the full package.

However, we can probably guess why the comic book company is looking to bring back its massively successful superhero team-up film in 2026. Across its April 2019 premiere and June 2019 theatrical victory lap, Avengers: Endgame managed to rack up a box office total of a whopping $2.8 billion (via Box Office Mojo). It’s a number that saw the MCU Phase Three event film earning a record-shattering opening weekend and eventually following James Cameron’s Avatar ($2.92 billion) as the second-highest-grossing film of all time.

Avengers: Endgame proved to be quite the moment for the movie world, as theatergoers lined up to see how Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and other Marvel mainstays would finally take down Thanos. Now, Marvel seems to be looking to give those numbers another boost as it barrels toward its first superhero team-up flick in six years with Avengers: Doomsday.

The film, which features MCU veterans Joe and Anthony Russo back as directors, is set for a December 18, 2026, release date. The Marvel calendar has the movie set to follow Tom Holland’s long-awaited return as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day come July 31, 2026. It’s a plan that has the Avengers: Endgame re-release hitting theaters perfectly between the two new entries, giving die-hard fans the chance to keep the hype going between releases.

While we wait for more details, you can check out our original 9.5/10 Avengers: Endgame review. You can also read up on the list of the top 10 highest-grossing Marvel movies of all time.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

The weird, sprawling saga of Warner Bros. Discovery just dropped another major plot twist, as Netflix has seemingly emerged victorious in the bidding war over the company. This means that Netflix, already one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, will now control the film and TV rights to franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and, of course, DC. Batman is now a Netflix character (provided the acquisition is approved by federal regulators, that is).

This new deal raises many, many questions about the future of Warner Bros. as a studio and what this means for theatrical distribution, many of which will only be answered in the months and years to come. But for many superhero fans, the biggest question is what this all means for DC Entertainment, a company that has already experienced more than its fair share of turmoil in recent years. Let’s explore why the best-case scenario for DC right now is simply business as usual.

A Decade of Turmoil at DC

DC’s leadership has been nothing if not tumultuous over the past decade. Back in 2016, Warners ushered in the era of DC Films, with Geoff Johns and Jon Berg serving as co-chairmen of the division. But after films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League underperformed, Johns stepped down in favor of Walter Hamada in 2018.

Despite the success of 2018’s Aquaman and 2019’s Joker, the DC brand remained on rocky footing, leading Hamada himself to leave the company in 2022. Thus began a brief bloodbath where several parties jockeyed for control of DC’s future, including Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson. Only in 2023 did things settle down when James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the new co-CEOs of the rebranded DC Studios and the sun finally, officially set on the DC Extended Universe.

Nor has this behind-the-scenes chaos been limited to DC’s film and TV division. The publishing side has also seen some big shake-ups in recent years. DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson left the company in 2018. In 2019, DC laid off approximately 3% of its staff, and co-publisher Dan DiDio left the company later that year, cutting short plans for the controversial 5G initiative that would have replaced DC’s iconic cast of heroes with a new generation of characters. Currently, DC’s publishing division is overseen by President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee and Editor-in-Chief Marie Javins.

In short, this is a lot of chaos for any one company to endure in such a relatively short span of time. There’s been a tangible lack of consistency and direction behind the DC brand for a long time now. Just look at the latter years of the DCEU, with the company afraid to leave behind the foundation established in Zack Snyder’s films but simultaneously failing to build on that foundation in a meaningful way. And all the while, box office returns steadily plummeted.

Meanwhile, DC continued to struggle in other media. 2024’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League proved that even the mighty Rocksteady can miss with the DC brand. Over on the comics side, while the 5G reboot and its accompanying revamped DC timeline were certainly ambitious, they threatened to undo all the goodwill DC had only recently recaptured through the DC Rebirth initiative.

DC was badly in need of a consistent, steady vision by the time Gunn and Safran were hired to right the ship in 2023. And while it’s far too early to say whether they’ve accomplished that goal, the early signs are certainly promising. Superman was the box office success DC sorely needed after a truly disastrous 2023 and 2024 film slate. Creature Commandos and Peacemaker have established a strong track record for the DCU on the streaming front. And as for the comics, the Lee/Javins era of DC Comics has been truly great, most notably giving us the chart-topping Absolute Universe imprint.

Things are finally looking up for DC, which is exactly why the chaos and confusion of the Netflix acquisition is an unwelcome development. The very last thing this company needs is another regime change or a fundamental pivot.

Why Netflix Needs to Trust the Plan

It’s going to take some time for Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery to be approved and completed (and there are any number of things that could go wrong along the way). But once all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted, Netflix is going to have a massive pile of new IP to play with. Which then begs the question, do they continue following Warners’ roadmap for these franchises or start fresh?

It’s hard to imagine Netflix changing course with the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones series. They’ll be inheriting a Harry Potter series in the midst of adapting the original novels and an ever-growing slate of Game of Thrones spinoffs. No reason to rock those boats. But with DC, there’s always a danger that Netflix will want to wipe the slate clean and start a brand new shared universe of films and shows from the ground up for their streaming service.

We can only hope the company resists that particular urge. After so many years of creative turmoil and leadership shake-ups, the very last thing DC needs right now is change. Gunn and Safran need to be left alone to cook. We’ve only gotten one live-action DCU movie so far in Superman, which will be followed in 2026 by Supergirl and Clayface and in 2027 by Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. On the TV front, we’ve only seen the barest glimpse of 2026’s Lanterns and the other shows that will make up this new universe.

Clearly, there’s a plan in place. Gunn even has a name for it - “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” But we’re still in the very early stages of that plan. As much as things are looking up for DC after a bad few years, we’re still very much in the rebuilding stage right now. Gunn’s Superman did respectably well at the box office (narrowly beating 2013’s Man of Steel domestically), but one might argue that a big-budget Superman reboot by the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy should have performed better. Repairing the damage done to the DC brand is a long-term, ongoing process.

Netflix needs to commit to letting that process continue to play out, not tossing everything out and starting over yet again. We just found the ideal live-action Superman in David Corenswet. Don’t start that agonising process all over again.

And what of DC Comics in all of this? Is DC’s publishing division even a blip on Netflix’s radar? Will they have any interest in overseeing a comic book publisher, or simply license DC’s characters out to other companies? Again, DC Comics has been in a very good place these past couple of years, so the ideal scenario is that Netflix stays as hands-off with the division as it has Mark Millar’s Millarworld line. Let DC Comics continue to operate as it has these past few years, producing good, character-driven stories that can be adapted in other media.

If Netflix wants to make waves anywhere with the DC brand, it should be with the games division. While somewhat overshadowed in the initial announcement, it’s been confirmed that Netflix will take ownership of WB Games along with everything else. With all the movies Netflix has been making into the interactive games space lately, they may well have big plans for the developers and IP now coming under their umbrella.

As it is, WB Games has hardly been making the best use of the DC brand in recent years. Games like 2022’s Gotham Knights and the aforementioned Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League were big disappointments, while the much-anticipated Wonder Woman game has been canceled after a long, chaotic development cycle. Meanwhile, as much as Gunn and Safran seem to be including the games in their long-term plans for the DC line, that has yet to yield any concrete announcements. Hopefully, having Netflix’s resources to bring to bear can only mean better things for DC’s future gaming slate.

But beyond the games, the best thing that can happen for DC in the midst of this merger is nothing at all. After so many years of shifting leadership and pivots in direction, what DC needs is stability, consistency, and a chance to win back moviegoers still skeptical of the brand. What it doesn’t need is a new captain at the helm or yet another reboot. Just trust that Gunn and company know what they’re doing and leave it at that.

Should Netflix overhaul the approach to the DC brand, or do you want to see Gunn and Safran continue their vision for the DCU? Vote in our poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments below:

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

Nintendo and LEGO fans rejoice, because one of our favorite sets just got a major discount ahead of the holidays. Amazon has lowered the price of the LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426 to just $35.99 after a 40% off instant discount. This happens to just barely clear the free shipping threshold for non-Prime members. The 18+ rating means that this set is relatively challenging, but I've built this one myself and I think it's a great set for builders of all ages. It would make a pretty amazing gift for the holidays and, unlike many new LEGO sets, won't cost an arm and a leg.

40% Off LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426